Land mine



mi? b 5195@ a... K. L !LJEGREN 2,5%.,4@ ,l

LAND MINE Filed Aug. 17, 1942 Fig. 1..

" Lyle K. Liljegpen @M Wma Aff/M Patented July 11, 1950 orties LAND "IWINE Lyle K. Liljegren, Silver Spring, Md., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of War Application August 17, 1942, Serial No. 455,040

11 Claims. (Cl. 102-8) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

The invention relates to a land mine and more particularly to such a mine adapted for use against tanks and other vehicles and is of a type to be actuated only by masses greater than a predetermined limiting value to avoid the possibility of accidental detonation by foot troops.

It is-an object of this invention to provide a land mine which will only detonate in response to engagement with a mass above an accurately predeterminable and maintainable ceiling level.

It is a further object to provide a land mine which may be constructed of a material which will be proof against detection by magnetic or inductive means.

Additional objects are the provision of a mine which may be economically constructed of noncritical material and which permits of considera blesaving in weight of materiel.

' The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is an axial sectional View of my improved mine, and

'Y Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a partial axial sectional View in the same plane as Fig. l, the spider plug being shown in safe condition.

Referring to the drawing by characters of reference, the mine shown therein comprises a generally cylindrical body I which is externally threaded for the reception of a centrally apertured cap member 2. A spider 3 is supported above the cover and provided centrally with an adjustable spider plug 4. A plurality of resilient spider supports 5 are engaged between the spider 3 and the cover 2.

The mine body I is lled with a suitable high explosive -6, such as TNT, and a fuze well cup i is supported from the central aperture in the cover 2. Seated in the fuze well cup l is the fuze comprising a booster charge 8, which may be of tet- 1"'yl ,`k and a percussion primer 9. A ring pin I0 issupported in alignment with the primer 9 and a compression cylinder I I of rubber or other nonmetallic spring material is engaged between the ring pin IIJ and a trigger button I2. It should be noted that the trigger button has capacity for axial sliding movement in the fuze body I3 of about 1A" at the close of which the lower end of by any military vehicle.

can be-made by regulating the position of the' the trigger button engages the retaining ange It on the ring pin It. It is obvious that the apv plication of any greater than a certain critical load to the trigger button will result in destruction of the flange I4 and that the compressed cylinder I I will thereupon drive the ring pin into the primer detonator 9.

The spider 3 as is usual in such devices is provided with downwardly extending legs I5 adapted to hook under the rim of the cover 2 and locating projections I6 are preferably provided on the edge Y of the cover 2 to insure against rotatory movement of the spider with respect to the cover.

In my improved mine, however, the entire re-.

sistance to a load on the spider need not be supplied by the trigger button I2 as in the conventional construction. I have,l instead, provided at spaced intervals on the periphery spider supports 5 of rubber or material of similar elasticity through which thrust loads received on the spider may be transferred directly through the compressible supports to the body I and then passed on to the ground. As such forces are absorbed at or near the point of application I am enabled to A make my spider of material having considerably lessstrength and rigidity than that convention-` ally' used. At the same time the use of spaced resisting elements about the periphery of the body takes from the fuze the requirement of containing la spring sufficiently stiff to resist the entire actuating load and enables the trigger button of the fuze to function solely as a device to actuate the mine whenever a predetermined movement of the spider is exceeded thus improving the accuracy with which the trigger action may be controlled.

The dimensions and compressive ratios of the spider supports can be adjusted to permit the spider to operate the trigger through its preliminary or safety movement at any desired load value, but it is believed to be preferable to make that load about 500# to insure that the mine will not be detonated by being stepped on by a man, while it will be sure to operate if run over Further adjustments spider plug t. Wheneverfles's than the maximum load is applied the parts will be restored to normal'condition upon release of the load.

' Ii', however, the maximum load is exceeded the retaining flange I4 will be destroyed, and the mine will detonate, destroying or seriously damaging the attacking vehicle.

For storage in assembled condition with maximum safety it will be noted that the spider plug cesses I8 are provided in opposite faces of the spider plug and near its rim to enable it to be readily screwed in or out for reversing or ad justing the plug.

Thus far in the specification little reference has been made to the choice of"material-f'or my improved mine. construction will permit more economical manufacture with usual materials because: less. strength will be needed in the spider and other. critical..

members. A more important effect of `my `improved design is that by permitting: thefparts.:

to be of less strength, a far greater field of mate.- rials is opened up for selection. Thus it is that minelrmay-be madef of `1.non-magneticY and/ or. noir-metallic. material... which will be :undetectable Icy-:the: magnetic. or; inductive meanspemployed. tor. Search .the ground-:for Y'hidden metallic: bodies.,

theupperlfaceofrsai'd-body, a spider spaced from, the. upper. face of:saickbody,v and: a.A spider.. plugreversably' mounted irrsaid. spiderinalignment with said "triggerfbutton, said spider" plug having formed on one face-.thereof a .trigger button, en

gagingl. member anden :thee opposite face thereof.. a recess. :adapted to; receiver said'y trigger button:

When1said. plugis 'reversedfinsaid spider;

21`A land ymine compri-sing ari-'explosive con-fv taining'y body, a` trigger button-projecting `from the upper face of saidjbody and adapted toY actuate.

the vmine upon rbeing* forced into. said.' body; a spider members resiliently4 supported in spaced relation to the upper face ofsaid body, agtl'neaded,v aperturein said-'spider member in; alignmentwth. said triggerbutton,z.and aspiderplug adapted'- to.` becsecured :in said aperture, said spider plug4 being formed `witha frecessrini one face. adapted to receiver thef triggergsbuttbn when: said. spiderv plug'is inserted-in. sai-di spiderwith the recess facing downwardly.. .anda triggerrengaging membergformed-'onizthe opposite-faceJ-of said plug in` axial alignment with; said recess.

3. A land mine comprising a substantiallycylin-` drical explosivexcontaining body, having a downwardly-facing. rim afuzefin said body, atrigger button .projecting from. the; upper 'surface of said.

body, a spider spaced above' said bodyhaving an'.

annular rim. andhaving; a portion. in .alignment withA said; trigger button,l resilient spider supports. about the periphery.y ofsaid body, engaged be-Av tween said bodyandsaid rirn,. and-'spaced de pending legs on. they annularr rim ofrsaid spider having. hook members; engaged. beneath.y said,

downwardly facingfrim.

4.-!A.land mine; asdescribedin.-y claim 3. all.o.fthe.I parts of said mine being made ofnon-metallic material..

5. A land m-inefeomprising a substantiallyV cylinf drical body, an .explosive cl'large. insaidbody,

a centrally apertured cover on said body provided with a downwardly facing rim at thefperiphery of saidbody, a fuzeinrsaid. body lhaving atrigger It should be realized that my button projecting through said centrally apertured cover, a spider having a central trigger engaging member and an annular rim of substantially the same diameter as said body, spaced depending legs on said spider, inturned hooks on saidflegs engaged beneath said downwardly facing rim, and a plurality'of'spaced, resilient spider supports engaged between said cover and said annular rim to support said spider in spaced yrelation above said body.

6. A land mine as described in claim 5, all of the'parts of saidgminebeing made of non-metallic material...

7; In a pressure-detonated mine, a body adapted to .f contain.. an.: explosive charge, a fuse carried by said body and including a trigger button projecting therefrom and movable downwardly to detonate ksaid fuse, a pressure plate superposed overt-'said button and connected with said body for translation toward said body, and a reversible and. removable insert secured. to said-.pressure plate over said` butten,. said` insert` beingy dishedf.v so. that inoneaposition it engages: saidfbuttoni. and operates the same onptranslation7 of lsaid. plate, while in. avreversed position.tcIears-.said button. for all. positions of downward translation` ofsaid plate and insert; Y A

8. A land minecomprising a elosednon-metal-f licl casing adapted tocontain a ,cl'1arge=.ofen.` plosive, andV including a: coverhavingacentralfl opening theretl'irough,y aifuzebody` seeuredflin v saidopening and extending into,saidcasingsaid;

body having a centrally apertured; top Wall, adr-7s ying pin, frangible means rigidly-mounting'said.

tion, and non-metallic resilient'rneans:interposed:-`

between said. button and said firing pin toyeld ingly` hold said button.- in rst position. ,v

9; A land mineas in claim,8said cover. lhay` ing agenerally flat topsurface, a spider, means carried by said casing and mounting said spider; on and over said casing forslding movementatoward said cover, said spider having a central plug,l to engage and move `said-.button downwardly-to second position. and a .plurality of.-nonmetallic resilient supports interposed between the -rim.o.1, said flat cover and said spider to-thereby yieldiingly hold. saidspider-inspaeed relationfrom said cover. n

10. A fuzeforiaf-land mine. comprising-aime.. body, av percussionv pri-mer, supported. therein, .ae firing pin in alignmenty withl saidprimerfand;

spaced; therefrom, means. includingga frangible annular web integrally and rigidlyy uni-ting.. saidy firing pin andsaid lfuzei body, a trigger button.. mounted in said fuze body spaced from/saidfiring:Av pin and. with capacity'for sliding movementrtoward.v said firing-pin;- said/ button comprising-an. annular depending, ski-rtportionto engage and. break. said frangible-web whensaidskirtporf tion; has been. depressed into engagement withnthe.; annular web" ofsaid firing, pi-r1-,jandv springgmeansf confined between said trigger-buttonzand said-.fufing. pin to yieldingly-resist' movement .of .said bute` toni into -detonatingl engagement withv saidfflrlng; pin and frangible web.' l

11. A fuze for aland mine.comprisinga.ffuze' body, a percussion primer.- supDQrted.therein-,,at fir-ing. pin. in align-mentv` with; said primer: and

spaced therefrom, means including a frangible REFERENCES CITED annular web integrally and rigidly uniting Said The following references are of record in the ring pin and said fuze body, a trigger button me of this munt:

mounted in said fuze body spaced from said firing pin and with capacity for sliding movement 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS toward said ring pin, said button comprising a Number Name Date depending portion to engage and break said 1,745,758 Gruber Feb, 4, 1930 frangible web when said trigger button has been 2,271,185 Dunajeff Jan. 27, 1942 moved a predetermined distance toward said 2,328,276 Hunt Aug. 31, 1943 ring pin, and a body of non-metallic rubber-like 1o 2,375,522 Campbell May 8, 1945 material conned between said trigger button and said firing pin to yieldingly resist movement FOREIGN PATENTS of said depending portion into engagement with Number Country Date said frangime web, 794,354 France Dec. 12, 1935 LYLE K mJEGREN, 15 221,963 Switzerland Sept. 16, 1942 

